Automatic uncoupling of toy railway vehicles



Oct. 31, 1939. A. DUNHILL C UNCOUPLING TOY RAILWAY VEHICLES AUTCMATI Filed April 16, 1938 ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 31, 1939 AUTOMATIC UNGOUPLING OF TOY RAILWAY VEHICLES Alfred Dunhill, Notting Hill, England Application April 16,

1938, Serial No. 202,576

In Great Britain July 28, 1937 3 Claims.

This invention relates to the automatic uncoupling of toy railway vehicles provided with coupling appliances which, applied to the ends of the vehicles, are automatically operated by the impact of one vehicle on the other to couple the two vehicles together by the engagement of the hook member on the end of the one vehicle with a complementary bow-shaped or looped coupling member on the end of the other vehicle.

The object of the present invention is to provide means whereby the couplings may be automatically disengaged at any desired part of the track so that'all the vehicles or any particular vehicle of a toy train may be disconnected for shunting on to a siding for example. This materially adds to the interest created by the automatic coupling as it provides opportunities for simulating the make-up of trains practised in railway goods yards and sidings.

With the aforesaid object in view according to the present invention a pair of toy railway vehicles, coupled by the engagement of the hook member on the end of the one vehicle with a complementary bow-shaped or looped coupling member on the end of the other vehicle, are automatically uncoupled by the magnetic attraction of an overhead -magnet. The looped or bow-shaped member of the coupling on one vehicle which, when struck by the nose of the hook on the other vehicle rises, rides over the nose and then falls into engagement with the hook, is automatically raised and disengaged from the hook to uncouple the vehicles by the magnetic attraction of an overhead magnet.

Such magnet may be an electro-magnet momentarily energized by the actuation of a switch controlling the supply of current to the magnet as the vehicle to be disconnected passes beneath the same. When, however, electromotive force is not available a permanent magnet may be employed which may be controlled from any convenient point so that as the vehicle to be disconnected passes beneath the'same the magnet is momentarily lowered by the operation of a lever for example through a suitable transmission. Assuming such overhead magnets carried on elevated supports above the toy track to be situated conveniently adjacent to the points and sidings it will be clear that by exciting any particular electro-magnet or lowering any particular permanent magnet, as the case may be, at the moment that the coupled vehicles are passing beneath the same a vehicle to be shunted may be automatically disconnected and can be subsequently coupled to another train or to a locomotive for shunting into a siding.

The invention will now be particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawing illustrating the application of the invention byway of example to the automatic coupling appliance described in the specification or" my copending application, Ser. No. 202,575, filed April 16, 1938.

In the saiddrawing, in which similar reference characters relate to like parts in all the figures:

Figures 1, 2 and 3 are perspective views to show the looped or draw-bar member of the coupling modified for automatic disengagement.

Figure 4 is a cross section of a bridge across 11 the toy track, carrying the electro-magnet and illustrating the operation of the magnet in the automatic uncoupling of two vehicles and Figure 5 is a similar view of the upper part of the bridge carrying a permanent magnet.

Figure 6 is a diagrammatic view showing the circuit for controlling the electro-magnet and simultaneously cutting off the power from the train.

Referring to the drawing, Figures 1 to 3 illustrate the pivoted looped or draw-bar member of the coupling described in the aforesaid co-pending application with the tube a rotatable on a wire rod 1) with cranked ends 0 mounted to rotate freely in the ears (1 of the bracket e fixed to the end of the vehicle 1. For the adaptation of this coupling member for automatic disengagement a vertical rod 9 is attached mid-way of the tube a and extends upwardly therefrom through a guide hole It in the bracket e.

In the construction shown in Figure 1 the rod 9 carries at its bent upper end a horizontal strip of metal 12 which normally rests on the roof of the vehicle f but when attracted by a magnet as hereafter described is raised drawing the tube a and hence the draw-bar member upwardly.

Figure 2 shows a simple method of obtaining the desired result by providing the rod g with a right angle bend at its upper end to form a horizontal arm 9 which is returned downwardly to normally rest on the bracket e.

Figure 3 shows another example in which the upper end of the rod g carries a metallic strip g curved to conform to the roof of the Vehicle 1. In all three examples the extent of the upward movement of the tube a is limited by the stop It.

The operation of the automatic uncoupling by means of a magnet will be clearly understood by reference to Figure 4 of the drawing wherein m represents an electro-magnet mounted in the upper part of bridge 12 across the track 0. f and f are two coupled vehicles, the vehicle 1 being fitted with the draw-bar coupling member and the vehicle f with the complementary coupling member constituted by the hook p with the inclined surface q, coupling having been effected by the impact of one vehicle on the other, the tube a striking the hook p, riding up the inclined surface q and passing over the top of the hook to fall by gravity into the position shown in full lines.

Assuming it is desired to uncouple the vehicles 1 and f the electro-magnet ml is energized by the actuation of a switch controlling the supply of current to the magnet as the strip 2' (Figure 1) on the roof of the traveling vehicle f or the arm 9 (Figure 2) or strip 9 (Figure 3) is passing beneath the magnet. The rod g is thus raised by magnetic attraction to the position shown in broken lines which lifts the tube a and the drawbar member of which it forms part clear of the hook 11) thus uncoupling the vehicles.

If electro-motive force is not available a permanent magnet 1" may be employed which as shown in Figure 5 is so mounted in the upper part of the bridge n that it can be momentarily lowered to attract and raise the rod 9' by swinging over the pivoted lever 8 connected to the magnet r by a suitable transmission t, the uncoupling operation being eiTected by this means as will be readily understood from the previous description of the operation of the electro-magnet m.

In the diagram shown in Figure 6, S is the source of supply, 0 a conducting rail, 2 center rail, m magnet, '0 main controller switch, it magnet control switch, w lead from the source of supply S to the rail 0, a: branch circuit to the magnet m, and 1/ return lead through rail 2 back to S.

What I claim is:

1. Means for automatically uncoupling adjacent vehicles of a toy railway, wherein one end of a vehicle is provided with a hooked element, a loop member pivotally supported by the adjacent end of the next vehicle to permit the vehicles to be in coupled relation when the loop member engages the hooked member and in uncoupled relation when the parts are separated, the loop member being mounted for a swinging movement under the sole influence of gravity for movement toward and into coupling relation, a projection extending upwardly from the loop member, a magnetically responsive extension carrled by the projection, and magnetic means mounted above the vehicles to attractively influence the extension to thereby move the loop member into a position free of the hooked member, the loop member moving into coupling posi tion at all times when the extension. is free of the magnetic influence.

2. A construction as defined in claim 1, wherein a stop is provided to limit the movement of the projection and loop member under the action of the magnetic means.

3. A construction as defined in claim 1, wherein the projection in part overlies the vehicle to which it is connected and rests upon the upper surface of such vehicle to be directly subject to the magnetic influence and to limit the movement of the loop member in a coupling direction under the influence of gravity.

ALFRED DUNHILL. 

